Deep eutectic solvent-based supramolecular solvent for dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of aflatoxin B₁ from safflower oil seeds prior to HPLC

Many foods and feeds may be contaminated with toxic mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁). Aflatoxin toxicity can lead to diverse harmful effects such as cancer, liver toxicity, and birth defects. Consequently, it is essential to establish a selective and efficient technique for analyzing AFB₁ levels in foods. In the current work, a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on a supramolecular solvent was developed for the rapid assessment of aflatoxin B₁ levels in safflower seeds <i>via</i> high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. In this procedure, a deep eutectic solvent-based supramolecular solvent was prepared by dispersing 1-dodecanol in a choline chloride:ethylene glycol solution. This prepared solvent was then used as the extractant in the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction step. The effects of significant parameters were investigated and optimized using a "one-parameter-at-a-time" method. Under optimal conditions, a wide linearity range of 0.09-250 ng g^-1 and an acceptable extraction recovery (69%) were achieved. The limits of detection and quantification were found to be 0.03 and 0.09 ng g^-1, respectively. Furthermore, the relative standard deviations for intra- and inter-day precisions were ≤5.9%. As a result, the present method was successfully applied to monitor aflatoxin B₁ levels in safflower seeds.